The ground search and rescue team at the Dongfeng Landing Site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has been ready to ensure safe return of the Shenzhou-18 crew to the Earth despite the challenges of nighttime operation in the desert.
The Shenzhou-18 spaceship separated from the Tiangong space station combination at 16:12 Beijing Time (0812 GMT) on Sunday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The return capsule of the spaceship, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, is scheduled to touch down at the landing site in the early morning on Monday.
The ground team will take charge of searching for and transferring the return capsule, while providing immediate medical examination for the astronauts.
The team is equipped with a search vehicle, which will run in the forefront of the search operation. It can accommodate 10 searchers who are able to carry out the initial tasks if it finds the return capsule first.
"The Shenzhou-18 will return to our Dongfeng Landing Site. The landing site consists of the eastern and western parts. The eastern part is composed of soft Gobi, saline-alkali land, sacsaoul forest, mountains and rivers, while the western part is hard Gobi. This time the return capsule will target the western part," said Chen Guodong, a searcher of the team.
Besides the search vehicle, the team is also equipped with vehicles for command, communication, engineering transport and medical service.
Drivers of the vehicles have undergone special trainings in advance to adapt to the complicated road conditions in the desert, while more lights have been installed on the vehicles to illuminate the dark night during the search operation, according to Chen.
"This dark night may be better than that of the Shenzhou-14 return with a higher temperature, not so cold. However, we still conducted some targeted trainings. Our personnel carried out an overall reconnaissance of the landing site. We conducted intensive trainings for drivers to strengthen their capability of driving a vehicle in complicated roads, especially at night. We added search lights on the vehicles to give our drivers better field of vision at night so that they have enough time and ability to respond to different terrains. We installed a square light on the engineering transport vehicle to illuminate the dark night at the landing spot so that our staff can work as smoothly as in the daytime," Chen said.
Ground search team ready for Shenzhou-18 crew's return
A contemporary Chinese art exhibition has been held at the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest, playing a vibrant role in fostering cultural ties between the East and the West. The exhibits, including brush paintings and sculptures on mountains, rivers, plants, blend traditional brushwork with Western influences, creating a serene, meditative atmosphere.
The artists' deep connection with the natural world is a window that the "Chinese Xieyi exhibition'' at the Hungarian National Museum presents to the public to explore Chinese philosophy, according to Tunde FegyvAri-Komori, curator of the Hungarian National Museum.
"This exhibition is a collection of 58 artworks, including four sculptures from 58 different artists, from the National Art Museum of China's collection. And they represent modern and contemporary artworks, partly reflecting back to the traditional Chinese painting and Chinese art, and partly reflecting to Western influences in art, which mostly started arriving in China after the 1970s and the 80s," said FegyvAri-Komori.
Much of the exhibition showcases traditional Chinese brushwork, where delicate strokes create intricate designs and meanings that express deep philosophical meanings, allowing viewers to experience the world from their perspective.
"The Chinese curators constructed the exhibition around these three topics and these three main aspects to approach Xieyi itself. The first one is called 'yi', which translates as meaning. This focuses on the essence of the topic. The second one is form, which in Chinese is 'xing,' and it's quite similar to meaning, but from a different approach. They are focusing on the form itself that they see, but they are not aiming at mirroring reality. The third one is called 'interest,' or in Chinese called 'qu.' And in this last part, I would say that it's a combination of the first two," said FegyvAri-Komori.
One standout piece is a sculpture that blends mythology and modern art, depicting Lao Tzu departing from the Qin Empire (221 BC to 207 BC), carrying the wisdom that shaped Taoist thought with him. The ox-head panther he rides symbolizes mysticism and the spiritual journey, adding another mythical dimension to the work.
"It expresses Xieyi very well, but at the same time, it also expresses a little bit of Western modern art, abstract art," said FegyvAri-Komori.
For many visitors, the exhibition is a chance to experience the dynamic evolution of Chinese art.
"My father had several books about Chinese art, about porcelains, ceramics, and paintings. It always struck me how different it is from our European tradition. There's a subtlety and sensitivity in it. The way they express emotions feels so unique and profound," said Daniel, a visitor.
The exhibition, part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and China, celebrates cultural exchange and shared appreciation for art and culture.
Contemporary Chinese art expo held in Hungary helps cultivate ties between east and west
